Wine By Anthony Spinelli

WINE IS TRULY A BEVERAGE THAT HAS BEEN MADE FOR MANY YEARS.BECAUSE OF THE HIGH SUGAR CONTENT OF THE GRAPE AND THE NATURAL WILD YEAST ON THE SKIN IT WILL START A FERMENTATION PROCESS THAT WILL CONVERT THE TWO SUGARS GLUCOSE AND FRUCTOSE THAT ARE IN THE GRAPE INTO ETHANOL ALCOHOL.WHEN MAKING WINE AT HOME IN THIS MANNER IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO CHECK THE SUGAR CONTENT OF THE GRAPE WITH A GRAVITY HYDROMETER.THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS TO REMEMBER IN WINEMAKING.IN ORDER TO PRODUCE A HEALTHY WINE AND A GOOD TASTING WINE YOU SHOUD START WITH A SUGAR CONTENT OF AT LEAST 24 TO 26 PERCENT.ALSO CHECK THE ACIDIC VALUE OF THE JUICE.THE ACIDIC VALUE SHOUD BE AT LEAST 0.65 TO 0.75 FOR GOOD WINE AND A HEALTHY WINE.WE AS WINEMAKERS AT TIMES MUST ADD SUGAR TO THE MUST TO OBTAIN THE PROPER LEVEL FOR AT LEAST 12 PERCENT ALCOHOL AT THE FINISH.ALWAYS START YOUR JUICE OR MUST AS WE CALL IT IN WINE TALK IN AN OPEN BUCKET THAT WILL HOLD AT LEAST 6 GALLONS OF JUICE .IF YOU CHOOSE TO MAKE 50 TO 100 GALLONS THEN YOU WILL NEED LARGE EQUIPMENT.THE AVERAGE HOME WINEMAKER WILL DO WELL BY MAKING A SMALLER QUANTITY FOR HANDLING PURPOSE AND IT MAKES FAR LESS WORK.FOR A HEALTHY WINE AND A GOOD WINE IT IS BETTER TO DESTROY THE WILD YEAST ON THE GRAPE SKIN AND TO START WITH A REGULAR WINE YEAST FROM YOU WINE STORE.WE DESTROY THE WILD YEAST BY USING ONE CAMPDEN TABLET THAT CONTAINS POTASSIUM METABISULFITE FOR EVERY GALLON OF JUICE IN THE STARTING BUCKET.SO IF YOU ARE MAKING FIVE GALLONS OF WINE THEN YOU WOULD NEED FIVE CAMPDEN TABLETS CRUSHED AND DISSOLVED IN SOME WARM JUICE.POUR THIS MIXTURE INTO THE MUST AND LET IT SIT FOR 24 HOURS IN AN OPEN BUCKET OR CONTAINER OF YOUR CHOICE.AFTER 24 HOURS HAS PASSED,THEN YOU WILL ADD YOUR YEAST FROM THE WINE STORE.LET THIS FERMENT IN THE OPEN CONTAINER FOR FIVE TO SEVEN DAYS UNCOVERED STIRRING TWICE A DAY FOR THE FIRST THREE DAYS ONLY.AFTER THE 5 OR 7 DAY PERIOD HAS EXPIRED THEN YOU MUST TRANSFER BY SIPHONING INTO A CLEAN CONTAINER THAT WILL BE AIR LOCKED AT THE TOP WITH A WATERSEAL,THAT ALSO CAN BE FOUND AT THE LOCAL WINE AND BEER STORE.ALWAYS LEAVE YOUR SIPHON HOSE AT LEAST ONE INCH OFF THE BASE OF THE CONTAINER SO THAT YOU DO NOT SUCK UP THE SEDIMENT FROM THE BOTTOM.DISCARD ALL SEDIMENT.THIS MUST STAY IN THIS SEALED CONTAINER FOR AT LEAST 14 DAYS.AFTER 14 DAYS THE MUST OR JUICE IS SIPHONED AGAIN INTO ANOTHER CLEAN CONTAINER AND WATERSEALED AGAIN FOR ANOTHER 14 DAYS TIME.AFTER THIS 28 DAY PERIOD IS OVER,THE JUICE SHOUD BE TRANSFERED AGAIN AND FIVE CAMPDEN TABLETS SHOULD BE ADDED AND LEFT IN THAT CONTAINER WATERSEALED FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER 14 DAYS.SO FINALLY AFTER A TOTAL OF ABOUT 48 TO 50 DAYS YOU WILL BE READY TO BOTTLE YOUR WINE.THE BOTTLING OF WINE MUST BE DONE WITH STERILIZED BOTTLES AND CORKS.tHESE CAN BE WASHED IN A SOLUTION OF SODIUM METABISULPHITE AND THOUROUGHLY RINSED.THE CORKS ALSO CAN BE SOAKED IN THIS SOLUTION.CLEANLINESS IN WINEMAKING IS VERY IMPORTANT.BACTERIA IN THE WINE CAN TURN IT TO VINEGAR IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.AFTER BOTTLING THE WINE,LET THE BOTTLES STAND FOR FIVE DAYS IN THE VERTICAL POSITION.AFTER FIVE DAYS YOU CAN LAY THEM IN THE HORIZONTAL POSITION.ROTATE THEM EVERY FEW WEEKS BY TURNING THE BOTTLES SO THAT THE CORKS STAY WET.THIS WILL STOP SHRINKAGE OF THE CORKS AND THE POSSIBLE LOSS OF YOUR WINE.LET YOUR WINE AGE FOR AT LEAST SIX MONTHS FOR A BETTER TASTING WINE.'GOD BLESS WINE FOREVER'ENJOY WINE AND KEEP FAMILY AND FRIENDS IN YOUR LIFE! WRITTEN BY ANTHONY SPINELLI.